As the first episode of Dreamland begins, Mel (Lily Allen) rides on a bus. When she is awoken by screaming women, Mel is told she is in Margate. Trish (Freema Agyeman) makes out with Spence (Kiell Smith-Bynoe). She makes him apply labor oil for her. Cheryl (Frances Barber) asks Diane (Martina Laird) why she moved by the sea if she doesn’t actually like the sea. Diane likes the sea although she doesn’t like being in it. Mel knocks on the door and yells for Clare (Gabby Best) who is busy interviewing a man about his rabbit.

Leila (Aimee-Ffion Edwards) yells for her partner to stop the truck when she sees items sitting next to the road. She grabs a chair that she wants to take with her before getting into the car with Nan (Sheila Reid) for her driving lesson. Nan asks her not to kill her because she is getting an award next week. Trish and Spence prepare for the upcoming party by decorating. After he says he is happy, Trish insists it’ll be perfect this time. Cheryl and Diane make out in private. Mel calls Clare to tell her she is at her place. She learns about the party. Cheryl and Diane make it to the party before Nan and Leila join them.

Cheryl introduces Elizabeth (Joy Richardson) to Diane who confirms she saw Jordan’s school report. Nan hopes Cheryl isn’t going to get drunk and embarrass herself. At the store, Sammy asks Mel if she’d like to get a drink. She thinks he is asking her on a date until Sammy says it is part of the meal deal. Clare tells Leila about Mel trying to come to the party. Mel arrives and interrupts the party a little later. She reveals that her apartment got flooded. The young girl asks if she can take them to Dreamland. Clare agrees to let Mel stay at her place for a bit if she tells her what really happened. Mel takes Clare outside to tell her about her friend overdosing and missing a very important show.

Although she survived, she quit and walks dogs now. Clare agrees to let Mel stay for as long as she wants. Spence asks Trish to stop watching her although she denies it. Mel walks over to congratulate her. Trish speaks to the group about her baby which she believes will be a daughter. She’ll raise her to be a good sister who shows up and not just when it suits her. Spence asks Mel not to spoil it for her. It doesn’t take long for Mel and Trish to get into an argument. As Mel tries to walk away, she falls over the big moon. Then, they have to rush Trish to the hospital. At the hospital, the nurse asks Mel to fill out the forms so they can get her x-rayed.

Trish wants help, but the nurse makes her wait. Trish tells her that she has had three miscarriages in the last two years and the last one nearly killed her. She argues that they would’ve taken her straight in if she was a white woman. By the time Spence arrives, Trish is already crying. Mel is surprised to learn that there is a baby inside her. When the doctor speaks to her, Mel says she has been infertile since she was 20. The machine was switched off as soon as they saw the fetus. Mel learns it is likely 19 to 20 weeks and the cut-off for an abortion is 24 weeks. Mel asks Clare not to tell Trish since it is her day. Trish learns she has a twisted ovarian cyst.

Although it is aggravated by stress, it should settle on its own. While they’re there, they learn the sex of the baby. Once she leaves, Trish tells the others that they’re having a girl. A bird craps on Mel’s face before the episode ends.

 

Dreamland Review

The opening episode of Dreamland dove right into the story without wasting any time. Based on the first episode, this is going to be one of those shows that people either love or hate. The humor likely isn’t going to hit the target for some viewers since I personally didn’t find the episode all that funny. Despite that, it wasn’t overly annoying to the point that I wanted to turn it off either.

Lily Allen and the rest of the cast do a decent job although the subject matter doesn’t really pull any dramatic punches. At this point, it is too early to say whether Dreamland is worth the binge. Viewers should try a couple of episodes to see if they think it is worth sticking with. Although I didn’t like the humor aspect of the show, I can see why some viewers would.

The opening episode scores a 5.5 out of 10. Recaps of Dreamland are available on Reel Mockery here. Find out how to support our independent site at this link. Learn more about advertising on Reel Mockery here.